Mona wants to ride her red bicycle. With her older sister beside her, she practises a little at a time and makes her first short ride.
01Read the Arabic story
أَتَعَلَّمُ رُكُوبَ الدَّرَّاجَةِ
اِسْمِي مُنَى. عِنْدِي دَرَّاجَةٌ حَمْرَاءُ، وَلَكِنَّنِي لَا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَرْكَبَهَا وَحْدِي. أُخْتِي الْكَبِيرَةُ تُسَاعِدُنِي الْيَوْمَ. نَذْهَبُ إِلَى مَكَانٍ وَاسِعٍ فِي الْحَدِيقَةِ. لَا تُوجَدُ سَيَّارَاتٌ هُنَاكَ. أَلْبَسُ خُوذَتِي وَأَجْلِسُ عَلَى الدَّرَّاجَةِ.
تَمْسِكُ أُخْتِي الدَّرَّاجَةَ وَتَمْشِي بِجَانِبِي. أَنَا خَائِفَةٌ قَلِيلًا. تَقُولُ: «اُنْظُرِي أَمَامَكِ يَا مُنَى، وَتَحَرَّكِي بِبُطْءٍ». أَضَعُ قَدَمَيَّ عَلَى الدَّوَّاسَتَيْنِ وَأَتَحَرَّكُ قَلِيلًا. أَتَوَقَّفُ، ثُمَّ أُحَاوِلُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى. أُخْتِي قَرِيبَةٌ مِنِّي.
بَعْدَ قَلِيلٍ، أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَرْكَبَ مَسَافَةً قَصِيرَةً وَحْدِي. أُخْتِي لَا تَمْسِكُ الدَّرَّاجَةَ الْآنَ، وَلَكِنَّهَا تَمْشِي بِجَانِبِي. أَقُولُ بِفَرَحٍ: «اُنْظُرِي! أَنَا أَرْكَبُ وَحْدِي!» تَبْتَسِمُ أُخْتِي وَتَقُولُ: «أَحْسَنْتِ!» أَتَوَقَّفُ بِجَانِبِ شَجَرَةٍ.
نَجْلِسُ عَلَى مَقْعَدٍ وَنَشْرَبُ الْمَاءَ. أَشْكُرُ أُخْتِي عَلَى مُسَاعَدَتِهَا. أَنَا مُتْعَبَةٌ قَلِيلًا، وَلَكِنَّنِي سَعِيدَةٌ جِدًّا. أَقُولُ: «أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَتَدَرَّبَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى غَدًا». نَعُودُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ، وَأَنَا أَمْشِي بِجَانِبِ دَرَّاجَتِي.
Show English translationHide English translation
My name is Mona. I have a red bicycle, but I cannot ride it on my own. My older sister is helping me today. We go to an open space in the park. There are no cars there. I put on my helmet and sit on the bicycle.
My sister holds the bicycle and walks beside me. I am a little scared. She says, “Look ahead, Mona, and move slowly.” I put my feet on the pedals and move a little. I stop, then try again. My sister is close to me.
After a little while, I can ride a short distance on my own. My sister is not holding the bicycle now, but she is walking beside me. I say happily, “Look! I am riding on my own!” My sister smiles and says, “Well done!” I stop beside a tree.
We sit on a bench and drink water. I thank my sister for her help. I am a little tired, but very happy. I say, “I want to practise again tomorrow.” We return home, and I walk beside my bicycle.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| دَرَّاجَةٌ | a bicycle |
| وَحْدِي | on my own |
| خُوذَتِي | my helmet |
| خَائِفَةٌ | scared |
| الدَّوَّاسَتَيْنِ | the two pedals |
| أُحَاوِلُ | I try |
| مَسَافَةً | a distance |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic story when you need a clue. Open the English support if you need help understanding a question.
What to remember
- Compare what Mona cannot do at first with what she can do later.
- Track how her feelings change during the practice.
Explore the Arabic in this story
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How to Say “I Can” and “I Can’t” in Arabic
أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَرْكَبَ مَسَافَةً قَصِيرَةً وَحْدِي
Compare Mona’s early cannot statement with her later I can sentence.
Family Members in Arabic: 12 Useful Words
أُخْتِي الْكَبِيرَةُ تُسَاعِدُنِي الْيَوْمَ
Review the attached my ending in the word for Mona’s sister.
Colors in Arabic: 10 Color Words with Simple Examples
دَرَّاجَةٌ حَمْرَاءُ
Notice the feminine form of red used to describe the bicycle.
